Month: August 2017

Yeah, it’s kind of crazy. Really insane in an odd way. Every freshman (yep, that happened) I’ve talked to agrees that this feels like summer camp. Almost as if we are all going to wake up one day and BAM! – be back home. I’m sure it’ll sink in at some point that this is permanent and real, but right now I’m still in that surreal phase.

For those of you who don’t know, I chose to attend the University of Alabama. I know, I know – what was I thinking? Me. An introverted, Christian, conservative girl attending one of the largest schools in the country…where I know basically nobody. Putting it down in words does make it seem illogical – what could I be thinking?

I don’t really have an answer for you, except that this seems like where God wants me.

For all that, I have survived my first week of college! Can I get a halleluiah? 😉

Alright y’all, I’m going to get real here. The first week of college is kinda insane. Here are some things I learned for those of you headed towards college, or who just want to hear about how I, who pride myself on keeping my iPhone in pristine condition, managed to crack it – cue the tears.

Do not trust the time your app says it takes to get to class

My Alabama app stated it would take a six minute walk to class. Haha…readers, the app’s definition of “walk” and mine are clearly different. I was speed-walking through campus on a mission: get to my first Spanish class in ten minutes. I did have the thought of running, but y’all! I did not want to be that girl.

“Yeah, there she goes. Ran to class on her first day.” Cue shaking head.

Ok, maybe that was semi-dramatic. But the point remains that I refused to make my first impression on campus, in a full-out run to class. By the time I reached the building, I checked my phone and raced up the stairs. For those of you who know me, you will recall that I am not the most coordinated person…and this translated to me tripping on the stairs and dropping my phone.

Crack.

My beautiful iPhone that I had so valiantly tried to keep in perfect condition, now showed a diagonal crack.

2. Driving on campus is a nightmare

One of my classes is pretty far, so I decided to drive to it. I happen to be a bit *ahem* directionally challenged, and some of the people on the roads were not very forgiving to a poor, confused freshman. In answer to your unspoken question, yeah…I got honked at.

But hey, I did eventually make it!

3. Your dorm room will look better than your bedroom at home

This is probably different for guys, at least from what I’ve seen online. But I know from my own experience, that my dorm room is definitely nicer in decorations, interior design, etc than my bedroom. I went on Pinterest for inspiration initially – seriously, whoever created that website/app is AMAZING. I’m only slightly addicted 😉 Home Goods and TJ Maxx were mainly where I purchased most of my dorm room items.

4. Starbucks will save your life

Well, maybe not save your life, but it will certainly make it more bearable. Alabama has a huge Starbucks in the student center – thank heaven. So far, I’ve already been twice, though I’m sure once school picks up speed, I will live and breathe Starbucks.

5. I have more appreciation for the simple things in life

Like bathtubs for instance. I love taking a warm, bubbly bath! Alas, dorm bathrooms lack this vital feature *dramatic sigh* Others include fruits and veggies, eating meals with my family, and having a sweet, furry pet to cuddle with. As they say, you don’t realize what you have until you don’t have it.

Those are a few things I learned my first week of college, along with other random bits and pieces. Such as that my Human Development teacher apparently owns buffalo, cows, horses, and chickens??? (Someone please tell me what one does with a buffalo)? Free food almost always means pizza, and walking through a hallway lined with sitting and standing students will make you feel like you’re in the Hunger Games.

To my fellow freshman, what did y’all learn during your first week in college?

From the song “Happy,” to the hundreds of advertisements promising true happiness, our world is on a constant search for something that will make us happy. Many times, we think it’s something superficial – like money or going on awesome trips. If that’s true, then why are celebrities often so miserable? Why do many famous individuals turn to drugs, alcohol, and other such devices? I believe this is because they are lacking fulfillment, purpose, and joy.

True joy.

Patheos.com defines joy as, “Joy isn’t like happiness which is based upon happenings or whether things are going well or not. No, joy remains even amidst the suffering. Joy is not happiness. Joy is an emotion that’s acquired by the anticipation, acquisition or even the expectation of something great or wonderful. It could be described as exhilaration, delight, sheer gladness, and can result from a great success or a very beautiful or wonderful experience like a wedding or graduation but the definition of joy that the world holds is not nearly as amazing as biblical joy.”

Happiness is contingent on our circumstances, what is happening around us. Have you ever been having a really great day, and then something goes wrong? Your coffee spills, the fast-food restaurant gave you the wrong order, you suddenly realize you have a project due tomorrow. BAM. Your entire day seems like it just did a huge 180 and you are freaking out.

Does God want us to be happy? Certainly! He is our Father, and as his children, Jesus only wants the best for us. However, God is much smarter than we are, and he knew that there would be days when something goes wrong. He did give us free will, after all, and God doesn’t take back His Word. Even when it might not be our fault, or a person’s fault, as long as there is sin in the world, we will never have a perfect day.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world,” ~ John 16:33

Jesus tells us that we will have hard times. He never promised that our lives would be free from struggles, but he did not leave us empty-handed. The second part of the verse is important to remember: I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. For those of us who are believers, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. The same power that OVERCAME the world lives in those of us who believe!

That is pretty awesome, however, I would like to bring the topic back around to joy. I promise it relates 😉

Like I said earlier, God wants us to be happy. There’s a problem with happiness…it’s contingent, subjective. Thankfully, we have an amazing Father and He offers us a solution to this…JOY.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” ~ Galatians 5:22-23

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells there. The Spirit, as part of the trinity, embodies all of the qualities of God. We have an opportunity to experience these emotions through the Holy Spirit.

There have been two times in my life that I can recall feeling the joy of the Holy Spirit. And y’all. It. Was. AMAZING. I felt so empowered and fearless! I was drunk on joy! That’s literally how it felt, and anyone who has experienced that, knows how absolutely riveting and exciting it is. You are just so joyful, happy, delighted. You’re like a child who trusts that everything is going to be ok. One instant, my mom and brother’s computer had crashed. Everyone else in my family was panicking, thinking that the computer was gone forever, along with all of their work on it.

Now, I do not take credit for this. All I can say, is that God in his mercy and love, perhaps saw me as a willing vessel and deposited His JOY and FAITH and TRUST in me. I was not worried! I knew God was going to fix the computer. I was drunk on the joy of the Holy Spirit, and you know what? The computer was saved. They’re still using it today.

Imagine what we could do in this world if we lived every day drunk on the joy of God. If we became like children and humbled ourselves in prayer. “Father, overwhelm me with faith and trust and joy that only You can give.” I think we would change this entire world, turn it on its axis.

I’m not pretending to know how to do this. Honestly, I am learning just as much as you. There’s not always a step-by-step manual on how to do this thing called faith, and that’s ok. All God asks is that we have a willing heart.

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long,” ~ Psalm 25:4-5